Prior to the season, Jim Leyland expressed why he doesn't want to use a closer by committe. I appreciated his honesty.
And you automatically understand — and this sounds kind of selfish, but I told you this all along — there is no question that it makes it a hundred times better when you have a closer that is a closer — and a good one — because it takes a lot of pressure off the manager.
We can (talk) all we want, but I can tell you right now that if we have to mix-and-match, it will be a second-guessing-haven delight. Because if you use Coke, well, why didn't use Benoit? If you used Benoit, well, why didn't you use Villarreal, if he's on the team? If you use Villarreal, why didn't you use Alburquerque? He was fresh. I'm supposed to know how to use my pitching, so that doesn't bother me. But when you don't have a closer, you're open game."
GW bolded that portion of Leyland's comment.
In 2003 the Red Sox briefly tried a closer by committe and here's what Theo Epstein has to say about it a decade later.
"We felt like if we could have acquired a closer that was a lot better guy, we would have gone with conventional roles and tell everyone the roles in the 'pen and avoided some of the controversy," Epstein said. "Since we couldn't we let Urbina walk, we let [Cliff] Floyd walk that winter. We were lowering payroll, we wanted to spread some of the remaining money around and we wanted to get draft picks. We felt like the best plan was to get a bunch of good arms and see what happened. It was bad execution because a few of the guys we got didn't perform early so it became a huge controversy. In hindsight we were a little naive how big a story it was going to become and how it was going to take on a life of its own in a detrimental fashion."
Since bullpens are so volatile, you can never really count on every guy having as strong a season as you expect. In such a short amount of playing time like relievers get, even a really good reliever can have a bad season. A bad reliever can have a good season.
A closer by committee, if tried over a long period of time, would surely result in a few more wins, but it can be a disaster in any one season. A disaster that's not necessary on the field, but in the dugout and executive booth. There's no doubt that having set roles in the bullpen makes a manager's job easier, both on the field and off. It's especially easier off the field when the second guessers come out.
"It's just a balancing act," Epstein said. "If you have a manager who buys into it and relievers who buy into it, the way Jim Leyland does at times, finds the right matchup. If you have a great left-handed set-up guy and you have two or three left-handers up in the ninth inning they can close that day, you don't have to make a big production of it. One lesson learned is the less said about it the better. You assemble the most talent you can in the bullpen and let your manager figure it out and hopefully not be bound to make in-game decisions that don't make sense just because of convention.
"This happens all the time. What does it tell you that it happens more often when the game is more important? It probably shows it's probably the best strategy to help you win games, but it's also more difficult to manage publicly and internally over 162."
A decade ago I thought that bullpens would be used in this fashion today, but it's probably never going to happen.
Comments
Do other sports have this much trouble of nitpicking and ego? Could you imagine a marathon runner being stopped every mile and asked about every step he made in that segment? Are we totally incapable of looking at the bigger picture?
joshQuote Reply
aside (great article, RC): http://obstructedview.net/aside/wsds-rice-cube-on-mlb-doing-away-with-the-draft.html
dmick89Quote Reply
The Cubs at this point are trying a closer-by-committee by default since they are apparently not telling Marmol when he’s gonna be the closer (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
Thank you kindly, sir.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rant Sports must be sprinting to hire him for their site.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/26/ron-darling-has-no-time-for-jabronis-and-their-nfl-draft/
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ josh:
I don’t know. I would imagine that any sport with a large following would have a lot. I think the primary difference between baseball and other sports like football is the number of games. I think it would be even worse if there were 162 games per season in the NFL. Everybody would be dead, but that’s another issue.
We have a short memory. By the time an NFL team plays again, people have forgotten about the last dumb thing the coach did. In baseball, those can add up over a few days.
I don’t know. That’s the best I can come up with.
dmick89Quote Reply
Brett has a great synopsis/analysis of the Cubs financial stuff going around lately.
http://www.bleachernation.com/2013/04/26/yeah-ricketts-family-debt-service-payments-are-probably-coming-out-of-cubs-revenue/
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
You did a great job. I dislike the draft in all sports. It would also be a hell of a lot more exciting for the fans to do away with it. Instead of picking a player or two that ranks at the top, we could be talking about the Cubs, or some other team, acquiring more than one. It would be awesome.
dmick89Quote Reply
RIP to the old possum
NateQuote Reply
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/26/mariners-general-manager-jack-zduriencik-is-running-out-of-time/
#6org
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Haven’t had time to read all that he’s written, but it’s only going to get worse with the Ricketts family spending half a billion to renovate Wrigley. We know it will end up costing more than that. This team essentially has only one to contend over the next decade: get luckier than shit.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
To me, this comment exemplifies the fatal flaw of this approach. It isn’t really about player freedom, there’s an inherently selfish motivation. And a failure to consider the larger ecosystem of baseball. I see baseball shrinking or dying under a total free market system. Some mutual cooperation/sacrifice benefits the sport as a whole.
joshQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
I think most of the grumbling is that a lot of the debt they’re servicing is money the Ricketts owe to themselves, thanks to the crazy structure that Zell imposed on the deal.
BerseliusQuote Reply
dmick89 wrote:
Cubs new motto?
NotrynoQuote Reply
Did we draft a safety or a rapist?
NotrynoQuote Reply
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/26/ziggy-ansahs-mom-was-hoping-a-team-in-utah-would-draft-him/
What an ignorant bitch.
NotrynoQuote Reply
Misleading title…
http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2013/04/26/5028/cubs-cant-sign-free-agents-without-wrigley-upgrades-says-guy-who-signed-as-free-agent-with-cubs-last-year/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
A member of the Cowboys staff told a reporter that he was “baffled beyond belief, to put it lightly” regarding the Travis Frederick pick. I’m telling you, Jerry Jones thought they were in the third round.
NotrynoQuote Reply
@ Notryno:
Probably both.
uncle daveQuote Reply
@ Nate:
uncle daveQuote Reply
@ uncle dave:
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
NotrynoQuote Reply
@ Notryno:
Don’t tell me what to do
Guy without sinQuote Reply
Jason Garrett reportedly had his head in his hands when DAL picked Frederick. Scouts were apparently arguing with Steven Jones before the pick.
NotrynoQuote Reply
@ Guy without sin:
Yor a fag.
A StoneQuote Reply
@ Notryno:
(dying laughing). At least all the Redskins fans bummed that they didn’t have a first round pick in this draft were able to get some entertainment value from this.
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Notryno:
Well, I’m not a sex offender, so in theory I guess I could do that.
uncle daveQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Notryno would say the Redskins did better than the Cowboys in the first round.
A StoneQuote Reply
@ uncle dave:
Notryno would say that when you go to the men’s room later you’ll see a sign that says “Gentlemen.” Pay no heed. Go right in.
A StoneQuote Reply
@ A Stone:
That’s good to know, thank you.
ScoundrelQuote Reply
@ Scoundrel:
Be careful around me.
A WellQuote Reply
@ A Well:
Ladies and gentlemen, this man is for me.
The BirdsQuote Reply
This is a dramatic reading/interpretation of that sorority girl’s insane e-mail to her sisters that included the phrase, “cunt punt.” It is NOT SAFE FOR WORK. Not even close. But it is hysterical.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/4ad20b4edf/michael-shannon-reads-the-insane-sorority-letter
Aisle424Quote Reply
I don’t like your Bob Saget roast jokes.
Negative Faget Point BanditQuote Reply
Negative Faget Point Bandit wrote:
Don’t you like anything?
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
Highlarious. I loved the ending.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Aisle424 wrote:
You posted something like that on our site, which is filled with reputable and distinguished people? (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
1. CF: Dave Sappelt
2. SS: Starlin Castro
3. 1B: Anthony Rizzo
4. LF: Alfonso Soriano
5. C: Welington Castillo
6. RF: Scott Hairston
7. 3B: Cody Ransom
8. 2B: Darwin Barney
9. SP: Scott Feldman
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89 wrote:
What is the Dallas Cowboys’ draft board.
Negative Faget Point BanditQuote Reply
Has anyone linked to Colin’s (free) response to Hawk Harrelson yet? http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=20371
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I especially liked:
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Remember when cwyers was just a commenter on BCB? That seems like decades ago.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
I wasn’t on BCB, so no, I don’t. Interesting tidbit, though.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Not sure what he said, but…
Matt garza @Gdeuceswild Protected account 1h
@bleedcubbieblue I appreciate your support, but lets keep your snide comments quiet! Way to be a supportive fan! #douche
(dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Huh? I don’t know how to read twits
WaLiQuote Reply
What did Alvin say?
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
I am not sure, and I’d have to sift through his timeline because Garza didn’t link directly to his tweet or else it was deleted.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
So Garza called Alvin a douche? (dying laughing)
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
It was glorious. It’s almost worth a $200MM contract. Almost.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rizzo now has more home runs than the Marlins. (Yes, I’ll keep doing this until a clear winner emerges.)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The Marlins are trying to save money by not running that home run display they have out in center field (they’ve only hit 1 home run at home all year).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Len&JD just said no one in the marlins lineup tonight has hit a HR yet this season
WaLiQuote Reply
Rizzo now has 2 more home runs than the Marlins.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo has more home runs in Marlins Park than the Marlins.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow Barney saving Felmans ass
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
He also has two more than the rest of the Cubs lineup.
dmick89Quote Reply
@ WaLi:
Shut you right up.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Matt Garza is my new favorite Cub
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
Eh, believe it or not, the Cubs are third in the league in homers, even though some of their top sluggers like Valbuena, DeJesus and Shierholtz are on the bench.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Cubs are last in the league in walks, though.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
WaLi wrote:
Is that like calling Yelling a bad name?
GBTSQuote Reply
I’m all about re-signing Garza at this point (dying laughing)
MylesQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
We hit too many rally ending HRs. That’s why we haven’t won more games
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
This line made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
This Kevin Gregg save was BORING, amirite?!
Someone wake me when the tying run is on 3rd.
Carlos MarmolQuote Reply
The Cubs now have a season-best winning streak (2 games)!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
http://youtu.be/DnVrSZHnvYY
WaLiQuote Reply
This year Rizzo has an OPS of .623 vs RHP and 1.110 vs LHP
Last year it was .892 v RHP and .599 v LHP
4 of his HR came off the 1st pitch where he is sporting a 1.736 OPS
WaLiQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
I see Dylan’s daughter inherited his unique way with words. (dying laughing)
SVBQuote Reply
Suburban kidQuote Reply
This was apparently the tweet from Alvin that got Garza all upset:
Al Yellon @bleedcubbieblue Maybe they can actually teach him how to field RT @mickgillispie: Great to see Matt Garza talking PFP’s with the Smokies pitchers
I think Garza overreacted a bit. Al isn’t the only one who thought that.
dmick89Quote Reply
Can someone explain to me why people are upset about a business owner demanding a change be made? A lot of things can be said about Loria, but the fact that he meddles isn’t really a strike against him. What business owners don’t meddle?
dmick89Quote Reply
@ dmick89:
I don’t think it is the meddling as much as people think he’s an outright liar and betrayed the public trust by getting the ballpark built and then selling off his team’s on-field assets.
Steinbrenner meddled all the time, but he put a winner on the field. I don’t remember if he got public money for Yankee Stadium renovation, but he didn’t gut the team after.
SVBQuote Reply
@ dmick89:
A lineup change? That’s micromanaging and making saps of your manager and GM.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
New Shit
MylesQuote Reply